Warriors: A Light in the Darkness
by Zephyrwing
Summary: As Thunderclan becomes wicked and power-hungry, Starclan prays that their other three clans will fight against them. Shadowclan and Windclan rise up to the challenge, while Riverclan slowly falls into the paws of Thunderclan. Will peace ever be regained?
1. Allegiances

**Hey, FanFiction members. Call me Zeph! This is my first story to write here, and I hope you enjoy it. I'll give you a quick rundown: **

_**Long ago, Thunderclan was great and noble. Riverclan and Windclan were good as well, but Shadowclan was evil and lurked in the darkness. Times have changed. Raggedstar, leader of Thunderclan, is hungry for power. Targeting Riverclan and their very young leader Frozenstar, Thunderclan plans to trap Riverclan and take their cats prisoner and their territory as their own. Shadowclan secretly becomes allied with Windclan, as they hope for peace. Plots will be twisted, hearts will be broken. **_

**Hope you enjoy this story! Reviews are appreciated. :3 -Zeph **

**P.S. I do not own warriors. I can't come up with ideas like that on my own… lulz.**

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A L L E G I A N C E S

T H U N D E R C L A N

LEADER Raggedstar - Dusty dark ginger tom with murky green eyes and slashed ears.

DEPUTY Eagletalon - Limber brown spotted she-cat with yellow eyes.

MEDICINE CAT None

WARRIORS

Fallenleaf - Light ginger she-cat with amber eyes. Fell out of a tall tree and lived. Her tail is slightly crooked.

Spiralstep - Odd skinny black tom cat with green eyes. He walks crossing his paws over each other.

Ziprun - Fast semi-longhair black tom with a jagged white streak on his chest and green eyes. _Apprentice, Foxpaw_

Duskleaf - Cream colored she-cat with ginger dapples and amber eyes.

Tallshadow - Very muscular longhair grey and black tom with yellow eyes.

Twistedheart - White longhair she-cat with green eyes. Her fur is often mangled and dirty.

Stormflash - Quick skinny grey tom with a white stomach and belly. Blue eyes.

Windscreech - A crabby grey tom with black splotches and orange eyes.

Sparrowcrest - an elegant yet vicious she-cat with warm brown colors mixed together on her body. Blue eyes. _Apprentice, Flickerpaw_

APPRENTICES

Flickerpaw - Dark ginger tom with brownish ginger stripes. Light blue-green eyes. Son of Raggedstar and Smallflower.

Foxpaw - Creamy ginger she-cat with darkened paws and ears. Brown eyes. Daughter of Raggedstar and Smallflower.

QUEENS

Smallflower - Thin creamy she-cat with blue eyes. Stripes are barely visible on her back. Mother of Flickerpaw and Foxpaw.

R I V E R C L A N

LEADER Frozenstar - Young light gray tabby tom with ice-blue eyes.

DEPUTY Leopardclaw - Brownish ginger she-cat with black spots. Green eyes. Very sharp claws.

MEDICINE CAT Cloudstep - Pure white she-cat with one blue and one green eye. Deaf in one ear.

WARRIORS

Otterfang - Brown tom cat with yellow eyes. Great swimmer. _Apprentice, Icepaw_

Snowstorm - Light gray she-cat with darker grey flecks on her face, back, and tail. Yellow eyes.

Mintwhisker - White she-cat with a black back, tail, and ears. Green eyes.

Darkrumor - A skinny quiet she-cat, she was once a Siamese kittypet. Blue eyes.

Waspsting - Longhair black tom with a white-tipped tail and yellow eyes.

Ivorysky- Creamy white she-cat with yellow eyes and brown ears.

Kestrelwing - Light brown she-cat with darker brown spots and amber eyes. _Apprentice, Sunpaw_

Redblood - Light ginger tom with amber eyes and brown ears. A wonderful hunter.

Dapplecloud - white she-cat with grey spots and blue eyes.

APPRENTICES

Icepaw - Fast white tom with amber eyes. Son of Redblood and Dapplecloud.

Sunpaw - ginger she-cat with a white chest and paws. Daughter of Redblood and Dapplecloud.

ELDERS

Stormheart - longhair grey tom with green eyes. Very old.

W I N D C L A N

LEADER Fallingstar - Old brown tabby tom on his last life. Dull green eyes. Limps slightly.

DEPUTY Omnirush - Possibly the fastest cat in the forest. Omnirush is a black tom with glowing green eyes.

MEDICINE CAT Amberleaf - Longhair calico she-cat with orange-brown eyes.

WARRIORS

Solarfire - A very strong ginger tom with darker ginger spots and yellow eyes. A charmer.

Softsand - A small sandy brown she-cat with white paws and amber eyes.

Whitetail - Elongated grey she-cat with the unusual look of a half-white tail and blue eyes.

Appleleaf - A creamy semi-longhair she-cat with ginger ears and tail. Very vicious and an amazing fighter.

Emberheat - A mainly black calico she-cat with white paws and an odd ginger swirl on her chest. Green eyes.

Mudtwist - a small brown tom cat with long whiskers and a long tail. Orange eyes. _Apprentice, Pinepaw_

Lostheart - Large grey tom with many battle scars on his chest where fur never grew back. Kind, but looks frightening.

Nightstreak - Bulky dark brown tom cat with black splotchy stripes. Zephyrpaw's best friend.

Gingertail - Creamy white she-cat with a ginger tail and ears. Amber eyes.

APPRENTICES

Pinepaw - Light brown tom with dark brown speckles and long whiskers. Son of Gingertail and ???

Queens:

Gentlesong - A mixture of brown colored fur and green eyes. Mated to Solarfire. Expecting kits soon.

S H A D O W C L A N

LEADER Scarletstar - Beautiful gingery-red she-cat with a brown neck, tail, and back. Amber eyes.

DEPUTY Landstrike - Large semi-longhair brown tom with black splotches. Green eyes.

_Apprentice, Zephyrpaw_

MEDICINE CAT Oakleaf - Light brown tom with a dark brown stripe down his back. White paws.

_Apprentice, Larkpaw_

WARRIORS

Nightchill - Longhair dark grey tom with black marble tabby markings. Feathery white chest. Green eyes.

Breezerush - Quick, skinny grey tom with darker grey stripes. Dark grey ears. Yellow eyes.

Hawkglide - A skinny brown she-cat with a black-tipped tail, ears, and back paws.

Tricksnap - Pure black tom with yellow-green eyes. _Apprentice, Silverpaw_

Blueflower - A small longhaired blue-gray she-cat with a white chest and muzzle.

Tidalsplash - Thin spotted grey tom with a long, feathery tail. _Apprentice, Flamepaw_

Rowanheart- A ginger she-cat with a white chest and ginger spot where her heart would be. Amber eyes.

Cloudwisp - A blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes.

Lionclaw - A silvery golden tom with darker brown ears, back, and tail. Amber eyes.

APPRENTICES

Zephyrpaw - A dark blue-gray she-cat with faded blue eyes. Daughter of Cloudwisp and Lionclaw.

Flamepaw - Heavy white tom with ginger ears and a ginger stump tail. One eye is green, and one is blue. Son of Tricksnap and Rowanheart.

Larkpaw - A limber jet-black she-cat with green eyes. Daughter of Tricksnap and Rowanheart.

Silverpaw - A small, silvery she-cat with amber eyes. Daughter of Cloudwisp and Lionclaw.


	2. A Quiet Morning

The scent of new leaf warmed the crisp morning air in Shadowclan. Because of the recent storm a few days before, many pines had fallen around the cold camp making Shadowclan more seeable and warmed by the rising sun. The prey flourished more over the other clan's territories, but there was still quite plenty to go around. Dew wetted the grass making the clan's grass sparkle and shine as if it were the night sky's stars. It was quite beautiful, but it did not make a single cat any less uneasy.

Zephyrpaw woke up slowly, as she always did. The stony cold walls of the apprentice den she did not find comforting. It made the moss frigid and hard, sometimes making sleep challenging. Only Zephyrpaw's blue eyes were seeable in the darkness of the den. Zephyrpaw glanced around the den, looking for her sister and friend Larkpaw. _They must already be training, _Zephyrpaw thought. He gaze landed on Flamepaw, her denmate who was still fast asleep, apparently fine in the conditions of the den they shared together.

Zephyrpaw studied her friend Flamepaw. He was quite the cat, not only because of his happy yet sensitive personality. His looks were odd, but not in a bad way. He was a normal sized apprentice tom, but his tail was not. He had a ginger stump for a tail, which looked very weird with his sturdy cream body. He also had ginger ears and a splotch of ginger above each eye. If that didn't seem weird enough, his eyes were bi-colored. One was ice blue, and the other was a grassy green. Flamepaw didn't seem to mind about his tail until a few cats at a gathering made fun of him. He doesn't like to show his tail to other clans because of it.

Chuckling, Zephyrpaw brought back her memories from the evening before, when they trained together for their warrior test. Flamepaw tripped into the mud while leaping for a mouse. He was a little clumsy.

"Nnn…" Flamepaw moaned as he rolled onto this other side, facing Zephyrpaw. His bi-colored eyes gradually opened, pupils flitting around the area and resting on Zephyrpaw. "Mornin'," he sighed, as he stood up and stretched. Zephyrpaw nodded and smiled at Flamepaw. She began to groom her fur.

Flamepaw sat down and watched Zephyrpaw continuously lick her shoulder. "Are you ready for our judging? You know, Landstrike is going to be tough to please. Tidalsplash is more of a pushover, but-"

"_Flamepaw_," Zephyrpaw meowed, sitting upright again. "The day has just started, and you're already worrying…"

Flamepaw stood up, sighing once again. "I know I'm worrying. But its with good reason!" he mewed convincingly.

Zephyrpaw rolled her eyes, sneering. "Flamepaw, you have nothing to worry about. You're one of the best fighters in our clan. And even if we didn't pass, it's not like we'll die or something."

Flamepaw rolled his eyes back at her. "You're a great fighter too. I guess you're right. It'll be fine."

Sniffing the air, Flamepaw stood up. "Come and eat with me?" he invited as he started to walk out of their den.

"Sure," Zephyrpaw accepted, following.

Stepping out of their den, the sun sparkled on Zephyrpaw's pure dark blue-gray fur. She had faint blue eyes, which sometimes didn't look like a color because the blue was so diluted. She was considered pretty among certain cats, but she wasn't anything to yowl about. Just how Zephyrpaw wanted it… nobody would talk about her.

As they both reached the center of camp, Zephyrpaw had to squint. The sun was very bright. Meowing and the scent of Shadowclan flooded the center of camp. The pines also brought a rather comforting scent to the area.

Approaching the fresh kill pile located on a flat rock, Flamepaw picked out a fat mouse. Zephyrpaw plucked out a plump but small squirrel. Lark was her favorite, but none was caught so far that morning. Finding a comfortable sunny spot, the two began to eat. Right as Zephyrpaw began to bite the fur off her squirrel, the scent of Windclan cats ran past her noses. Her ears perked as the looked around quickly. "The Windclan patrols must be here!" she exclaimed. She caught sight of Omnirush, Windclan deputy, with Emberheat and Nightstreak approaching camp as they weaved through the ferns.

Ever since Shadowclan and Windclan has formed alliances, there were morning and evening patrols. In the morning a few Windclan cats would come to Shadowclan to share any important news and to check on them. Shadowclan would do the same for Windclan, except at night.

Nightstreak peered around as Scarletstar spoke with Omnirush. He caught sight of Zephyrpaw and flicked his tail, beckoning her to come over to him. Zephyrpaw happily obliged. "One second," she told Flamepaw. He didn't seem to mind, for he continued to chew on his mouse vigoriously.

Zephyrpaw casually walked over to Nightstreak. It was hard to be calm; she was excited to see him. They were best friends. Nightstreak just became a warrior about a moon ago, and was often chosen to be one of the morning clan patrollers.

Darkstripe was a large mud-brown tom with dark brown, almost black stripes. His eyes were a mix between gold and amber that shined in the sunlight.

"Hey, Nightstreak!" Zephyrpaw meowed, trotting over to her friend.

"I heard about your warrior test tomorrow. I bring you good luck, oh great miss Zephyrpaw." Nightstreak bowed, grinning widely. He began to laugh. Zephyrpaw couldn't help but laugh too. "You're crazy," she mewed.

"I'm not crazy…" Nightstreak argued, slightly smiling as he stood back up.

"That's up for debate," Zephyrpaw replied quickly, nudging him with her front paw. Nightstreak belted out a loud laugh, causing Omnirush to look back from his conversation with Scarletstar. Zephyrpaw's sides began to hurt. "I need to leave, before you hurt me," she chortled, trying not to laugh any longer.

Nightstreak nodded. "I'm a danger to all cats."

"Of course."

Nightstreak opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Scarletstar. She had jumped onto the cut-tree already, the spot where the leader stood during meetings. Its was a tall tree stump. "All cats able to catch their own prey gather by the cut-tree for a clan meeting," she yowled.

Scarletstar was a smart leader. She wasn't easily impressed, and only talked when needed to. She was very kind, but could come off mean to some cats if you didn't look at her the right way. She was a beautiful she-cat too; a reddish golden color on her lower half which faded into a light brown as you reached her back and neck. A stray kittypet told her she was an Abyssinian, but none of the clans knew what that meant. Her father used to be a kittypet, and maybe it had something to do with it…

All the Shadowclan cats padded over closer to the cut-tree. As soon as Scarletstar was sure that everyone was settled, she began.

"I have brought all of you here to share that sadly, Windclan elder Shortwhisker had died in the middle of the night."

"Because of Thunderclan?" someone asked suspiciously.

"No," Scarletstar answered, relief in her voice. "He died of old age. No night patrollers will be needed tonight, for Windclan will be sitting vigil for their lost one."

"Goldenlight must be extremely upset," Blueflower meowed sadly, her voice trailing off.

"She is," Gingertail, a Windclan patroller spoke. "You're one of her closest friends, correct? Would you like to stay with her until next morning through the vigil with her?"

Blueflower looked at Scarletstar, whom gave her a short nod and a flick of her tail signaling her to go.

"That is all for announcements," Scarletstar finished, jumped lightly off the cut-tree and landing near Omnirush. "Thank you for coming," she meowed gratefully, touching noses with the three Windclan cats that came.

Omnirush leaded the way out of camp, Scarletstar talking to him and escorting them out.

"See you later," Zephyrpaw meowed, slightly saddened.

"Yep. See you soon," Nightstreak concluded.


	3. Last Day of Training

Landstrike and Tidalsplash were a great duo, and could take down any cat together, not to mention even just by themselves. Landstrike was a strong, large, muscular brown tom with black splotches covering his whole body. He was chosen to be Shadowclan deputy a few moons ago. Tidalsplash was a thinner, less muscular cat, but was very lithe and great at coming up with ways to strategize things.

They both walked slowly towards the fresh kill pile, where Zephyrpaw and Flamepaw sat. Flamepaw looked a bit frightened, nervous for his training. Zephyrpaw was a little nervous too, but she heard the warrior tests weren't that hard.

"Hello, apprentices," Landstrike's low voice rumbled. "Ready for training?"

Flamepaw looked too nervous to answer, so Zephyrpaw answered for him. "Yes," she meowed.

"Good," Tidalsplash said, nodding his head with approval. "Let's go down towards Windclan territory. Scarletstar has already told Fallenstar about this, so there is no need to worry about stepping a little into their territory."

"What are we going to do?" Flamepaw muttered, gulping his stress.

"We are going to catch one of the hardest things you can catch: a rabbit," Tidalsplash answered. "Its quite the challenge. It depends on your speed, stamina, but most of all it depends on a strategy."

Speed. Zephyrpaw was good with speed, and pretty good with stamina. A strategy? She wasn't very sure. Still, she was determined to get a rabbit.

~O~O~O~

"Are we almost there?" Flamepaw asked, curious. He never had stepped a paw in Windclan territory before. Neither had Zephyrpaw, but she had heard about what is looked like.

"_A large, grassy field with many ravines, the largest one Windclan camp…"_

Suddenly, the four cats were climbing uphill. It was a bit difficult, because there were many loose rocks that you could slip on, and the sharp small rocks hurt her pads. She tripped a couple times, but quickly regained her balance and walked again.

Finally they reached the top of the hill. The sight was wonderful. The tall grass coated the earth and swayed with each passing breeze. Birds flew in and out of sight as they hopped around in the grass. The scent of rabbit was strong.

"Now don't go too far," Tidalsplash warned, sounding like a mother to her kits. "We don't want Windclan cats thinking you're Thunderclan warriors. Flamepaw, why don't you go first?"

Flamepaw gulped. "Uhh… okay…" he mumbled.

"We'll climb this tree to keep an eye on you," Landstrike assured, pointing his tail towards one of the oaks that surrounded the field.

Flamepaw didn't seem as nervous now. Be slowly turned around and stalked into the grass.

Zephyrpaw followed Landstrike and Tidalsplash up the oak, resting on a branch near their own. She couldn't catch sight of Flamepaw. _Where is he?_ she wondered, her eyes darting over the grass. Suddenly, she saw some grass move, and she caught a glimpse of ginger and white. Some grass ahead of him moved. _A rabbit!_ Zephyrpaw realized, watching the two moving areas of grass zip through the area. The rabbit was fast, picking up speed. It tried to do zigzags, bouncing through the grass. Flamepaw tried one last leap at the rabbit, all or nothing. He hit the ground, and all was quiet except the tweeting of birds.

Flamepaw appeared out of the grass from where we entered, holding a rabbit in his jaws.

"Wonderful job, Flamepaw!" Tidalsplash congratulated, purring. Landstrike was purring as well. "You'll be a great hunter as a warrior."

Flamepaw's stumpy tail rose slightly. He was very proud, and it seemed like his shyness has disappeared.

"Alright. Zephyrpaw, your turn," Landstrike rumbled, nodded his head at Zephyrpaw.

Zephyrpaw nodded slightly, clambering down the tree and passing Flamepaw who still held the rabbit in his jaws. The wind blew again, rippling the grass.

She now stood facing the light colored grass, wet with dew. It sparkled nicely in the sun. Zephyrpaw glanced back at her mentors. The were watching her with blank expressions, anticipating what was to come. Looking back at the grass, Zephyrpaw sighed and stepped into the world of green.

The grass was tangled and long, and the moist ground made Zephyrpaw's feet wet. It was hard to be quiet while walking because the grass brushed around and crimpled as she stepped on it. How would she find a rabbit like this? Suddenly, Zephyrpaw found a small open area, and alas: a rabbit. Getting in her crouching position, she eyed the rabbit and waited for it to turn around right before she was about to strike, she saw three little furry lumps hopping near the rabbit. Baby rabbits.

Her heart thumped, recalling her past.

~O~O~O~

"Cloudwisp, Rowanheart, you must stay here and protect the kits!"

"Lionclaw! You can't leave…"

"Cloudwisp, please understand!"

Lionclaw bounded out of the nursery towards the yowls and screeches of Shadowclan cats. Kits mewled in fear, aware of the danger they were in. A fox invasion was taking place. Curling her tail around her kits, Cloudwisp lay low in the back of the den. It was Zephyrkit and Silverkit that she had brought into the world a few moons ago.

"Mama! I don wanna die!" Silverkit whined.

"Mama. Mama. Make the foxes go away!" Zephyrkit whispered.

Lionclaw came back, and stopped in the center of the short caved entrance into the den. He was breathing heavily, with a few oozing gashes on his sides. "Good, everyone is alrig-"

Lionclaw was shoved to the side of the cave, knocking him out. A large female fox took his place. She grinned devilishly, walking slowly towards queens Cloudwisp and Rowanheart. Zephyrkit and Silverkit were whimpering. Rowanheart's kits Flamekit and Larkkit were hiding behind her, shivering and silent with fear.

Hissing, Cloudwisp stood up. Her fur rose high, and her tail lashed from side to side. The fox stopped out of surprise, but then once again continued to walk with her head held high.

With great speed, Cloudwisp lunged towards the fox, biting its neck hard. It yipped, and flung Cloudwisp against the stony wall. Cloudwisp quickly sprung off the side of the cave in attempt to body slam the fox, but the fox was quick. It clamped its jaws around Cloudwisp's torso and bit hard. Cloudwisp let out a ear-piercing screech as her eyes fluttered closed. Blood dripped onto the cold ground. With triumph, the fox let Cloudwisp's body go. It hit the ground with a sickening thud. Zephyrkit and Silverkit began to cry, skittering over to Rowanheart. They were trapped.

"Mama!" Zephyrkit moaned over the screeches outside.

The fox rose its head high once again, baring its teeth. It made a step closer, and it was taken down.

Landpaw, an apprentice, had slashed the fox's throat, making it fall to the ground. He seemed surprised, looking at his bloodied claws. His silvery-green eyes were wide and frightened, yet relieved.

"Oh, Landpaw!" Rowanheart cried, tears staining her fur. Other warriors entered the den, gasping at the sight of a motionless fox and battered Cloudwisp and Lionclaw laying on the ground. Blood was soaking the ground under all three.

Scarletstar appeared. "The battle has ended… Landpaw, was this your doing?" she glanced at the fox.

Landpaw shrugged, still stunned at the fact that he killed a fox. "Cloudwisp helped."

Violetsky, the medicine cat, helped Lionclaw up. Luckily, he had regained conciousness. As soon as he was okay, she ran to Cloudwisp's side.

Violetsky put her ear near certain places on Cloudwisp's body and prodded a few places on her body. She gasped. "She's still alive!" she hissed. "Somebody. Get me some herbs and cobwebs, _now!"_

~O~O~O~

It was a horrid event that took place that day. Zephyrpaw shuddered. Although her mother of father didn't die, it still scarred her. She couldn't copy the fox's intentions, of killing a mother? Zephyrpaw sighed. She couldn't.

She thought of the love she felt for Landstrike for saving her life. It wasn't a mate to mate love, instead, a brotherly love. She just wished he showed a bit more emotion. He was always serious. Zephypaw remembered insisting on having Landstrike as a mentor when she became an apprentice. Even if she didn't receive him as a mentor, she would still train with him. All cats only trained in groups of three of four, in case a Thunderclan attack took place.

"Zephyrpaw, are you there?" Tidalsplash called. The rabbits bolted away.

"Yes," she called back. She could hear animals many fox-lengths away stir.

Trying to find another rabbit, Zephyrpaw sniffed the air. She caught scent of another rabbit in a different direction. Perfect. Stalking her way through the grass, she saw a fairly large fat rabbit, perfect for catching. Fat prey was always easier to catch, not to mention more delicious.

_I better not blow this,_ she thought as she took a deep breath in. As soon as the rabbit turned away to chew on a blade of grass, she sprung at it vigorously with her long, fast legs. It was why she was named _Zephyr_paw, after all.

Quick with its instincts, the rabbit bolted away, making every animal aware that a predator was present. It was fast for a chubby thing. Keeping her eye on the tail of the rabbit, she followed with ease. She was a fast cat, but what was Tidalsplash talking about when he said to have a good strategy?

Suddenly, the rabbit changed course, quickly sprinting directly to the left.

Slipping to the side, Zephyrpaw caught herself with her claws and sprung back at the rabbit. So that's what Tidalsplash meant.

Thinking quickly, Zephyrpaw thought of a effective way to catch her prey.

Experimenting, she ran after the rabbit towards its right side. It sprung directly to the left. It all made sense now.

Again catching the ground with her claws, Zephyrpaw ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran on the right side of the rabbit once again, and just as expected, it ran to the left. Leaping with great force to the left, she cut the rabbit off, biting its body and tumbling through the grass.

Landing on her side, she got up confidently. The rabbit was dead and in still in her jaws. She tasted a little bit of blood.

Sitting up on her hind legs, she looked for Flamepaw and her mentors. She saw a few trees, but she couldn't remember which one her mentors were in. She looked the other way. "Maybe over here…" she told herself. Trotting through the grass, she scented Flamepaw and followed the scent. It was a bit scattered, since he had been chasing a rabbi-

"Ahhhh!"

Zephyrpaw was tackled to the ground by a black cat. Was it Thunderclan? Was it a rogue? A few other cats were with him. The rabbit fell to her side.


	4. Flashbacks and Attacks

**I decided to split this chapter because I realized it's reaaaaally long. And I know if you have a lazy personality (like me,) you don't enjoy reading FOREVER. Scrolling, and scrolling... so yeah. There you have it. Buh bye now.**

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"Cloudwisp, Rowanheart, you must stay here and protect the kits!"

"Lionclaw! You can't leave…"

"Cloudwisp, please understand!"

Lionclaw bounded out of the nursery towards the yowls and screeches of Shadowclan cats. Kits mewled in fear, aware of the danger they were in. A fox invasion was taking place. Curling her tail around her kits, Cloudwisp lay low in the back of the den. It was Zephyrkit and Silverkit that she had brought into the world a few moons ago.

"Mama! I don wanna die!" Silverkit whined.

"Mama. Mama. Make the foxes go away!" Zephyrkit whispered.

Lionclaw came back, and stopped in the center of the short caved entrance into the den. He was breathing heavily, with a few oozing gashes on his sides. "Good, everyone is alrig-"

Lionclaw was shoved to the side of the cave, knocking him out. A large female fox took his place. She grinned devilishly, walking slowly towards queens Cloudwisp and Rowanheart. Zephyrkit and Silverkit were whimpering. Rowanheart's kits Flamekit and Larkkit were hiding behind her, shivering and silent with fear.

Hissing, Cloudwisp stood up. Her fur rose high, and her tail lashed from side to side. The fox stopped out of surprise, but then once again continued to walk with her head held high.

With great speed, Cloudwisp lunged towards the fox, biting its neck hard. It yipped, and flung Cloudwisp against the stony wall. Cloudwisp quickly sprung off the side of the cave in attempt to body slam the fox, but the fox was quick. It clamped its jaws around Cloudwisp's torso and bit hard. Cloudwisp let out a ear-piercing screech as her eyes fluttered closed. Blood dripped onto the cold ground. With triumph, the fox let Cloudwisp's body go. It hit the ground with a sickening thud. Zephyrkit and Silverkit began to cry, skittering over to Rowanheart. They were trapped.

"Mama!" Zephyrkit moaned over the screeches outside.

The fox rose its head high once again, baring its teeth. It made a step closer, and it was taken down.

Landpaw, an apprentice, had slashed the fox's throat, making it fall to the ground. He seemed surprised, looking at his bloodied claws. His silvery-green eyes were wide and frightened, yet relieved.

"Oh, Landpaw!" Rowanheart cried, tears staining her fur. Other warriors entered the den, gasping at the sight of a motionless fox and battered Cloudwisp and Lionclaw laying on the ground. Blood was soaking the ground under all three.

Scarletstar appeared. "The battle has ended… Landpaw, was this your doing?" she glanced at the fox.

Landpaw shrugged, still stunned at the fact that he killed a fox. "Cloudwisp helped."

Violetsky, the medicine cat, helped Lionclaw up. Luckily, he had regained conciousness. As soon as he was okay, she ran to Cloudwisp's side.

Violetsky put her ear near certain places on Cloudwisp's body and prodded a few places on her body. She gasped. "She's still alive!" she hissed. "Somebody. Get me some herbs and cobwebs, _now!"_

~O~O~O~

It was a horrid event that took place that day. Zephyrpaw shuddered. Although her mother of father didn't die, it still scarred her. She couldn't copy the fox's intentions, of killing a mother? Zephyrpaw sighed. She couldn't.

She thought of the love she felt for Landstrike for saving her life. It wasn't a mate to mate love, instead, a brotherly love. She just wished he showed a bit more emotion. He was always serious. Zephypaw remembered insisting on having Landstrike as a mentor when she became an apprentice. Even if she didn't receive him as a mentor, she would still train with him. All cats only trained in groups of three of four, in case a Thunderclan attack took place.

"Zephyrpaw, are you there?" Tidalsplash called. The rabbits bolted away.

"Yes," she called back. She could hear animals many fox-lengths away stir.

Trying to find another rabbit, Zephyrpaw sniffed the air. She caught scent of another rabbit in a different direction. Perfect. Stalking her way through the grass, she saw a fairly large fat rabbit, perfect for catching. Fat prey was always easier to catch, not to mention more delicious.

_I better not blow this,_ she thought as she took a deep breath in. As soon as the rabbit turned away to chew on a blade of grass, she sprung at it vigorously with her long, fast legs. It was why she was named _Zephyr_paw, after all.

Quick with its instincts, the rabbit bolted away, making every animal aware that a predator was present. It was fast for a chubby thing. Keeping her eye on the tail of the rabbit, she followed with ease. She was a fast cat, but what was Tidalsplash talking about when he said to have a good strategy?

Suddenly, the rabbit changed course, quickly sprinting directly to the left.

Slipping to the side, Zephyrpaw caught herself with her claws and sprung back at the rabbit. So that's what Tidalsplash meant.

Thinking quickly, Zephyrpaw thought of a effective way to catch her prey.

Experimenting, she ran after the rabbit towards its right side. It sprung directly to the left. It all made sense now.

Again catching the ground with her claws, Zephyrpaw ran as fast as her legs could carry her. She ran on the right side of the rabbit once again, and just as expected, it ran to the left. Leaping with great force to the left, she cut the rabbit off, biting its body and tumbling through the grass.

Landing on her side, she got up confidently. The rabbit was dead and in still in her jaws. She tasted a little bit of blood.

Sitting up on her hind legs, she looked for Flamepaw and her mentors. She saw a few trees, but she couldn't remember which one her mentors were in. She looked the other way. "Maybe over here…" she told herself. Trotting through the grass, she scented Flamepaw and followed the scent. It was a bit scattered, since he had been chasing a rabbi-

"Ahhhh!"

Zephyrpaw was tackled to the ground by a black cat. Was it Thunderclan? Was it a rogue? A few other cats were with him. The rabbit fell to her side.

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**Look! There's a button! ....I dare you to click it.**


	5. Windclan Once Again

"What are you doing here?!" the black cat roared. "This is Windclan territo- oh. Excuse me, Zephyrpaw!"

Embarrassed, the black cat got off of her. Zephyrpaw realized it was Omnirush, Windclan deputy. The other three cats with him were Mudtwist, Appleleaf, and Lostheart.

"I am truly sorry… I thought you were a Thunderclan spy. You know how tight security is around here… I forgot you and Flamepaw were training today," Omnirush sighed.

"Am I in your territory?" Zephyrpaw asked, her heart still thundering.

"Barely," Appleleaf answered.

"Sorry. I sort of lost my way, and I can't find my mentors."

Mudtwist snickered. Zephyrpaw shot him a disgusted glace, making Mudtwist look away.

"We were just doing an extra border patrol," Omnirush stated. "We can help you find your mentors."

"Zeph! Zephyrpaw!"

The sound of rustling grass drew closer. Zephyrpaw realized she was still on her back. She got up quickly and picked up her rabbit.

Landstrike appeared first. "Zephy-" he was cut off by the presence of the other clan cats. Seeing Zephyrpaw with a rabbit in her mouth, he spoke again. "Hello, Omnirush. I see Zephyrpaw managed to get caught by the border patrol," he growled.

"It's fine, Landstrike." Omnirush reasoned.

"Did you apologize?" Landstrike asked, his eyes studying Zephyrpaw.

"Yes."

Lostheart spoke up. "Zephyrpaw, did you catch that rabbit on your first try?"

Zephyrpaw's ears perked. "Yeah, why?"

Lostheart nodded, purring. "It's often hard to do so in these conditions, with the tall grass and wet, slippery grounds. I congratulate you."

"_Its not that_ hard…" Mudclaw muttered.

Landstrike sighed. "Well, we better get back to camp. Sorry for the trouble."

"No no, its quite alright… anyways. We'll keep on doing our border patrol. Good luck with your training, Zephyrpaw."

"Thanks."

Landstrike and Zephyrpaw both watched the four cats disappear into the grass.

Leading the way, Landstrike padded the opposite direction in the grass.

"What were you thinking?" Landstrike asked. His voice sounded hostile.

"I couldn't find my way back," Zephyrpaw admitted through her rabbit as she followed her mentor. "You know how hard it is to scent things correctly in humid, wet weather."

"Shadowclan doesn't want Windclan thinking we can go onto each other's territories when we please. We are still separate clans, and always will be."

Finally, the grassy scenery ended. Flamepaw and Tidalsplash were waiting under the tree that we had sat in.

"There you are. We were just deciding whether we should go look for you," Tidalsplash meowed, relieved.

Flamepaw bounced over to Zephyrpaw, his rabbit swinging around in his jaws. "Thank Starclan you're okay! We thought you were taken by Thunderclan cats!"

Zephyrpaw dropped her rabbit and laughed. "We would have fought them off easily. Right, Landstrike?"

Landstrike shrugged, his eyes scanning the forest. "Maybe so. But right now we should worry about getting back to camp. Let's go."

Weaving through the trees, the four Shadowclan cats made their way back to camp. The sun was high in the sky, beating down on Zephyrpaw's fur. She began to sweat. Sometimes she liked the cooler shade of her den than being outside, although during the winter her den was torture.

Suddenly, Landstrike and Tidalsplash stopped in their tracks. Landstrike turned his head and looked at Zephyrpaw over his shoulder. "Zephyrpaw, scent us back to camp."

"Okay," Zephyrpaw muttered as she put stepped in front of her mentor and set down the rabbit. She didn't want to think about getting lost in Windclan territory anymore. Landstrike _had_ to bring back the ever so recent memories.

Sniffing the air, Zephyrpaw caught a familiar scent. Her sister, Silverpaw. She must had passed through where she stood on her way back to camp recently, because her scent was fresh. She could also smell Tricksnap, Silverpaw's shady mentor, and Hawkglide, to watch them.

"This way," Zephyrpaw decided, as she started to walk around a large ravine. She must have been right, for Landstrike didn't correct her. The soft feel of crab apple tree blossoms felt soft on her pads as she walked on them, leading her mentors and Flamepaw. She wiggled under a line of pine trees, and saw camp.

"Good job," Tidalsplash meowed, taking the lead. The camp was a slight ravine, so Zephyrpaw had to be careful not to trip and tumble down. She caught sight of her sister sharing tongues with her other best friend, Larkpaw.

"Training is finished. We'll train tomorrow morning, and then you will be tested," Landstrike concluded.

Flamepaw headed to the den for some rest after he and Zephyrpaw dropped off their rabbits on the fresh-kill pile. Zephyrpaw padded to her sister and friend.

"Oh, hi Zephyrpaw!" Silverpaw mewed. "You're finally home. What did you do in training today?"

"Rabbit catching," Zephyrpaw muttered as she laid down.

"Sounds like fun," Larkpaw noted, grooming her jet-black tail.

"I did rabbit catching yesterday," Silverpaw announced. "I caught one really fast. Hawkglide said I was one of the fastest cats she's ever seen!"

"Cool," Larkpaw meowed, her green eyes blinking. "I gathered some dock today with Oakleaf and Breezerush. And then I caught a squirrel. Not as exciting as catching rabbits, though."

"Squirrel catching is _so_ fun!" Silverpaw opposed.

Zephyrpaw purred with agreement. "Yeah. They way their tail wiggles around when they run!"

The three she-cats laughed in unison. Then, the wind blew, sending a faint smell of Thunderclan cat.

"Thunderclan spy!" someone yowled. Shadowclan cats scattered.


End file.
